Mini-Institute on Addressing Anti-Black Racism with the Columbia School of Social Work

As we engage in anti-racism work, it is crucial to create spaces for difficult conversations and for individual and collective healing. Our office, in collaboration with the Columbia School of Social Work, has developed a three-session mini-institute for Columbia faculty facilitated by Dr. Courtney Cogburn, Dr. Jalana Harris, Dr. Zuleka Henderson and Dr. Ovita Williams.

Moving beyond Symbols and Performance: A Radical Reimagining of Antiracist Selves and Institutions

Session 1: Examining this Global Moment and Framing an Anti-Black Racism Agenda (7/21, 12-1:30pm)
This session will provide a beginning critical conversation on anti-Black racism and explore how two global pandemics forced us to reimagine an anti-racist future and institution. 

Session 2: Examining Positionality and Engaging Critical Self Reflection (7/28, 12-1:30pm)
This session will guide participants to deeply examine their social positionalities, building necessary self-awareness skills for understanding our relationship to Whiteness and implications for developing anti-racist ways of being.

Session 3: Developing a Personal and Institutional Anti-Racist Action Plan (8/4, 12-1:30pm)
Participants will develop an initial anti-racist action plan for both their personal engagement as well as in their professional roles at Columbia University.

Participants must commit to attend all three sessions, to speak candidly, to engage fully with their classmates, and to complete required assignments. 

Apply Here


This program is part of the Addressing Racism: A Call to Action for Higher Education initiative of the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement.